Demon Turf

Punkish platforming unafraid to be punishing

- 

INFO

FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE £19.99 ETA Out now PUB Playtonic Friends DEV Fabraz PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 15-20 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Auto/manual camera options; UI scaling; colour blind modes

Three-dimensional platformers with polygons? Pfft, that is so 20 years ago. Everyone knows that if you’re going to make a 3D platformer today it has to feature an intriguing gimmick, and in Demon Turf’s case that means infusing this classic genre’s challenging design principles with a punk-rock 2D art style. The result? Almost like playing through a scrapbook version of Spyro The Dragon, only far more diabolic.

You might think the emphasis on flatness would have a detrimental affect on activity, when the truth is that the game just demands a deeper level of thought. You see, lead character Beebz differs slightly from the likes of Crash Bandicoot or Knack in that she doesn’t have a full 360 degrees of movement. Instead the way she moves is closer to classic Sonic’s forward momentum, forcing you to take a more tactical approach when jumping between devilishly placed platforms. There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to controlling her, then, making reaching every level’s end (and finding collectibles) a tad trickier, while being ultimately more rewarding too.